Complete Guide to Managing Login Items in macOS

Introduction / Why This Matters

Login Items is a convenient macOS feature that automatically launches specified applications when you log in to your system. However, over time, this list can become bloated, significantly slowing down your Mac's startup and consuming background resources. This guide will show you how to fully control this process through both the graphical interface and Terminal, so your Mac runs faster and more efficiently.

Requirements / Preparation

Before you begin, ensure:

• You have administrator privileges (to make changes in system settings).
• A supported version of macOS is installed (Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, or newer).
• You know exactly which applications you want to add or remove from login items.

Managing via System Settings (Recommended Method)

Step 1: Open the "Login Items" Section

1. Click the Apple  menu in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select "System Settings".
3. In the left sidebar, find and click "General".
4. On the right, scroll down to the "Login Items" section.

Step 2: View the Current List

In this window, you will see two main lists:

• "Open at Login" — applications that will open windows when the system starts.
• "Allow in the Background" — background services and daemons that have no windows but still consume resources.

Each item can be temporarily disabled (by unchecking it) or removed entirely.

Step 3: Add a New Application

1. Click the "+" button below the "Open at Login" list.
2. In the Finder window that opens, navigate to the "Applications" folder (/Applications) or locate the application elsewhere.
3. Select the desired application (a file with the .app extension) and click "Open".
4. The application will appear in the list and will launch at your next login.

💡 Tip: Add only those applications to login items that you truly need immediately after startup (e.g., a password manager, cloud client). Launch others manually as needed.

Step 4: Remove an Application

1. In the "Open at Login" list, find the program you want to remove.
2. Select it.
3. Click the "–" (minus) button below the list.
4. The program will be removed from login items but will remain installed on your Mac.

⚠️ Important: Removing an item from this list does not delete the application from your disk. To completely remove a program, drag its icon from the "Applications" folder to the Trash.

Managing via Terminal (For Advanced Users)

The System Settings interface covers most scenarios, but Terminal provides greater control, especially for scripts or remote management.

Step 1: View All Items via osascript

Open Terminal and run:

osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to get the name of every login item'

The output will be a list of names for all programs in your login items.

Step 2: Add an Item via Terminal

Use the command:

osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to make login item at end with properties {name:"ApplicationName", path:"/Path/To/Application.app", hidden:false}'

• Replace "ApplicationName" with the display name (e.g., "Firefox").
• Replace "/Path/To/Application.app" with the full path to the .app file (e.g., "/Applications/Firefox.app").
• The hidden:false parameter means the application window will be visible. Use true to hide it.

Step 3: Remove an Item via Terminal

osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to delete login item "ApplicationName"'

Specify the exact name as it appears in System Settings (e.g., "Google Chrome").

Step 4: Verify Changes

After any change (via interface or Terminal), restart your Mac or log out and back in to ensure the changes take effect.

Verifying the Result

1. Restart your Mac (Apple  menu → Restart).
2. After logging in, note the time until the desktop appears.
3. Open System Settings → General → Login Items and confirm the list matches your changes.
4. To check background processes, open Activity Monitor and look under the "CPU" or "Energy" tab for processes related to your auto-launching applications.

Potential Issues

Issue: Application does not appear in the list after adding via Terminal

• Cause: An incorrect path or name was specified. Ensure the path points to the .app file, not a folder. The name must exactly match what appears in System Settings.
• Solution: Delete the problematic item using osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to delete login item "IncorrectName"' and add it again, copying the path from Finder (right-click the application → "Show in Finder").

Issue: System reports an access error after deleting an item

• Cause: Terminal was not run with administrator privileges.
• Solution: Run Terminal with superuser privileges using sudo, but exercise caution. If Terminal is not required, use System Settings for deletion instead.

Issue: Program still launches even though it's not in "Login Items"

• Cause: Some applications (e.g., Dropbox, Steam) have their own auto-launch settings in their preferences. They may also launch via LaunchAgents or LaunchDaemons.
• Solution: Check the application's own settings. For system agents, use the command ls ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ and /Library/LaunchAgents/ to find .plist files and remove or move them (requires caution).